The PGA Tour heads to PGA National for the 2026 Cognizant Classic this week. Located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, 123 golfers will compete on this par 71 course, navigating plenty of water hazards along the way.
Ryan Gerard is the betting favorite, followed by Shane Lowry and the Højgaard brothers. Most of the prominent names we’ve seen in the previous two Signature Events will not be in this field, creating plenty of value across DFS contests.
My PGA DFS Lineup Advice: Top Golfers (2026 Genesis Invitational) had strong results from three of six golfers recommended. Maverick McNealy and Chris Gotterup both missed the cut, while Tommy Fleetwood and Collin Morikawa both logged top 10 finishes from my Tier 1 selections. Min Woo Lee also played well with a T12 finish from Tier 3. Viktor Hovland was good enough to make the cut but only managed a T41 finish at Riviera.
It feels like PGA National is up for grabs to anyone in attendance this week. Let’s continue to find high-value golfers and plug them into our DraftKings and FanDuel DFS lineups to turn a profit in Florida this weekend. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more picks throughout the 2026 PGA Tour season.
PGA DFS: Top Golfers (2026 Cognizant Classic)
DraftKings Salary: $50,000 | FanDuel Salary: $60,000
TIER 1
| Golfer | DK $ | FD $ |
| Shane Lowry | $9,900 | $12,000 |
| Nicolai Højgaard | $9,400 | $11,600 |
Shane Lowry stands out in this field due to his elite tee-to-green accuracy. The Irishman sits 24th in proximity, 19th in SG: Approach, and 43rd in SG: Putting.
Lowry has logged a T11 finish or better in four straight outings at PGA National. There’s little to dislike, aside from his expensive salary. Plug Lowry into lineups at a premium Tier 1 price.
Nicolai Højgaard has enough talent to make a run up the leaderboard this week. The Denmark native is coming off a T3 finish at the WM Phoenix Open, while also securing a T18 finish at the 2025 Cognizant Classic.
Højgaard ranks third in total strokes gained this year. He’s first in SG: Off-the-Tee, 17th in SG: Approach, and 30th in SG: Putting. It’s why Højgaard ranks 14th in scoring average and 28th on par 4s.
Make sure to prioritize Nicolai Højgaard in your DFS lineups as one of the strongest Tier 1 golfers available to roster.
TIER 2
| Golfer | DK $ | FD $ |
| Will Zalatoris | $8,400 | $10,100 |
| Max McGreevy | $8,200 | $10,000 |
We haven’t seen Will Zalatoris much on the PGA Tour this season. The 29-year-old is coming off a missed cut at Torrey Pines, so he’s had plenty of time to prepare for PGA National.
Zalatoris ranks 12th in total strokes gained. He’s top-30 in SG: Off-the-Tee and SG: Approach, while sitting 31st in proximity. Even Zalatoris’ putting is improved, ranked 21st or better in putts per round, putting average, and one-putt percentage.
He’s eighth in birdie average and par 4 scoring. Insert Zalatoris into DFS lineups as a golfer with a potentially massive ceiling from Tier 2, despite making his debut at PGA National this week.
Max McGreevy nearly won this event in 2025. McGreevy has not logged a T20 finish yet in six attempts this season, although he does rank 19th in driving accuracy and 16th for greens in regulation hit at 74 percent.
McGreevy has struggled with his putting. If he figures that part of his game out this week in a return to PGA National, where he carded a T4 finish in 2025, expect him to log his first T20 finish in 2026. McGreevy is a high-floor prospect with a potentially high ceiling.
TIER 3
| Golfer | DK $ | FD $ |
| Sam Ryder | $7,300 | $8,600 |
| Kevin Roy | $7,100 | $8,500 |
Now we’re digging deep into Tier 3 value. Sam Ryder is a name worthy of consideration at this reduced salary.
Ryder ranks fifth in SG: Approach and third in SG: Putting. That’s a potent combination on most golf courses, although he’s outside the top 100 in SG: Off-the-Tee with a wayward driver.
He logged a T48 finish at PGA National last season. In 2026, Ryder has a T27 finish at The American Express with a T59 finish at Torrey Pines during the Farmers Insurance Open.
Ryder’s approach game and putting ability are too good to ignore amongst Tier 3 prospects. Grab Ryder as a low-floor golfer who could boost your DFS lineups with a potentially massive ceiling if he goes on a few birdie runs at PGA National.
Finally, we’ll end with Kevin Roy. Roy has bounced between missed cuts and a pair of T13 finishes in 2026, so he’s a volatile golfer who can return upside when he’s at his best.
Roy ranks 27th in total strokes gained. This includes 12th in SG: Putting and 50th for proximity. Also, 20th for approach shots from 200+ yards and 22nd scrambling.
Tee-to-green is a bit dicey, which is why Roy is available to roster at a low salary. Yes, he missed the cut at PGA National last season. There’s a chance that it happens again, or, ideally, he’ll wind up with a third T20 finish.
Let’s bet on the latter outcome and plug Roy into our DFS lineups ahead of Round 1 on Thursday morning.
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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for BettingPros and FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.